


Tarrying

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Clothed Sex, Extra Treat, F/M, First Time, Matchmaking, Sparring, Teasing, Trapped In A Closet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-14 19:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: In retrospect, Poe realized he probably shouldn't have spent quite so much time telling BB-8 about Rey. Or at least, he shouldn't have spent so much time telling BB-8 about Rey and then still expect the droid not to do something about it.





	Tarrying

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elegantstupidity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/gifts).



“You know,” Poe said, standing beside the newly landed X-wing as Rey took off her helmet and climbed out of the cockpit, “normally I’m the one trying the impossible while everyone else shouts at me and says I’m crazy.”

She ignored the ladder as well as Poe’s outstretched hand in favor of jumping out, landing nimbly on her feet. “Is that a problem?”

“Not really. Just… hell. You’re something in a ship, I’ll give you that.”

Rey’s smile was as sweet as it had been on the  _ Millennium Falcon,  _ the first time they had exchanged words. “It flies a bit different than my simulator.”

Poe gaped at her. “Your simulator? You mean you’ve never flown an actual X-wing before?”

“Does that matter?”

“Hell yes it matters! We’ve only just started restoring our fleet! We can’t afford to lose ships to newbies pulling stunts!”

Rey crossed her arms over her chest. “Weren’t you just saying how amazing I was?”

“Well, yeah, but--”

“I wouldn’t ever have crashed.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I can.”

Poe sighed. “Let’s put it like this, Rey. If you’re going to be part of the Resistance, then I outrank you. You have to listen to me, and you have to be honest. I like fun as much as the next guy but this is important. No fooling around. Okay?”

After a moment, chewing on her lip a bit self-consciously, Rey nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

More gently, Poe nodded and touched her wrist, softening his voice. “Okay. And you really are a hell of a pilot.”

Rey brightened again. “You’re not so bad, either.”

“Not so bad,” Poe repeated, pretending to be affronted. “Not so bad. Best pilot in the Resistance and she calls me ‘not so bad’.”

“Second best,” Rey teased, and dodged out of the way when Poe tried to swat at her. “Because I’m the best! A hell of a pilot, you said!”

Laughing, Poe said, “I take it back, you conceited little monster.”

Rey grinned at him and danced away out of reach, waving as she turned to run off. “Thanks for the flying! See you later, second best!”

“Yeah, whatever,” Poe called after her, trying and failing to mask his smile.

-

“Beebee-Ate, you let me down. You should have warned me your rescuer was so blasted cute.” Poe looked over the side of the bed to where BB-8 was watching him with his large optic sensor, rolling forward slightly and then back.

_ [Friend-Rey is visually pleasing to you?] _

“You could say that, buddy, yeah.”

_ [Then you wish to couple with her?] _

The elbow Poe had been bracing himself on slipped and he just let himself collapse fully onto the bed. “Beebee-Ate. I did not say that.”

_ [But that is the end result when humans feel physical attraction.] _

“Sometimes, sure, but--”

_ [Friend-Rey exhibits signs of attraction to you. Her heartbeat increases in speed and her breathing--] _

“Oh, hell,” Poe interrupted. “She’s probably just nervous. She hardly knows me and she didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing with lots of social interaction.”

_ [It is attraction,]  _ BB-8 insisted.  _ [She also--] _

“Don’t encourage me,” Poe said, and flung his arm over his face. “She’s too young for me.”

_ [She is past physical maturation for humans. You are both in your prime for your species.] _

Poe sighed and wished for an astromech who was slightly less invested in his sex life.

-

“I think this was a bad choice,” Poe said, more than a little out of breath, as Rey backed him up against the gym wall, their staves pressed together nearly at his neck. He heaved his weight forward but Rey neatly disengaged and slipped away, staff knocking against the side of his knee so that he yelped.

“You picked the weapon,” Rey reminded him, her eyes alight with energy and amusement, clearly enjoying the hell out of this. 

“I know, and it was a bad choice.” When Rey clipped his leg again, Poe over-balanced and landed on his ass, swearing, letting his head fall back against the mat while Rey pointed the end of her staff at his throat. “Yield,” he said, tossing his own weapon to the ground and raising his hands.

Rey moved back, laughingly offering him a hand up.

“Let me catch my breath,” Poe said, and Rey dropped down beside him. “Can we try hand-to-hand for the next round?”

Shrugging, Rey said, “Sure you don’t want to just call it a night?”

“And give up the opportunity for you to embarrass me some more? Not a chance.” Poe rolled himself over onto his knees, choosing conservation of energy over how he looked heaving himself back upright.

“You did better that time,” Rey said magnanimously as she followed Poe up to her feet again, much more gracefully.

“Oh, she doles out encouraging compliments too,” Poe teased as Rey rolled her eyes.

She settled into a ready stance, knees slightly bent, hands up in front of her. “Again?”

“Yeah, again,” Poe said, pushing a hand through his sweaty hair before springing towards her.

Rey dodged lightly away, ducking under Poe’s fist and kicking out, catching a glancing blow across Poe’s middle. She used her momentum to leap up and wrap her legs around him.

“Holy shit,” Poe said, going down as she tackled him to the ground. “Was not expecting that.”

He was unexpectedly into it. He definitely didn’t mind spending any time between Rey’s thighs and damn but he needed to stop thinking things like that.

They separated and sprang back up, Rey grinning just a little, showing her teeth. “If you expected it, there wouldn’t be much point, would there?”

“You know, I’m glad there’s never any chance of you going easy on me.”

“Like I said, what would be the point?” Rey caught Poe’s elbow and wrenched it painfully; he only just managed to extricate himself from the hold.

She stumbled back when his kick landed but quickly regained position, spinning around him and then moving back a step, waiting. They traded blows, close and intimate, like a dance they were choreographing as they went. Rey was so quick and light on her feet but she had a ferocity in her; she never held back. Poe knew he would have bruises and the thought was oddly thrilling, that he would carry around the imprint of Rey’s fists on his body like she had marked him.

Rey knocked him off his feet again and he landed hard, wincing. “Yield,” he said as Rey crouched over him, his ass too sore to be bothered with trying to get back up.

Her victorious smile was more than a little charming. “Are you done now?”

“Maybe. I’m too old to keep up with you.”

“Yes, you’re practically an old man.”

“Right? My ass is fucking sore.”

She giggled. “That was fun. We can do it again?”

Though he didn’t really intend on doing it, Poe found himself sliding his hands up to Rey’s waist. “Sure, you’re welcome to enjoy yourself by kicking my butt any time.”

The way she wriggled slightly to shift her position was deeply unfair. “Didn’t seem like you much minded it. You’re the one who kept asking to continue.”

“What can I say, I like getting knocked around by pretty women.”

Rey had leaned forward a little; a loose strand of her hair hung down nearly in Poe’s face. Her eyes looked different up close, the color seeming to almost shift and change. Her lips were just barely parted and the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip.

“Maybe you like being second best to me,” she said.

“Careful,” Poe said, but he rubbed his thumb over her side, slipping up beneath the edge of her shirt. He wanted to kiss her with the sort of intense urge he hadn’t felt about anyone in a long time.

He scooted up and lifted her off him, moving her over to the side. Startled, she tilted a bit awkwardly over his thighs as they both moved and then righted herself, her skin flushing. “See you later,” she muttered, getting to her feet and hurrying out.

Poe sat there on the mat and cursed himself.

-

“I almost kissed her, pal,” Poe said later, on his bed with his back against the wall. “I wanted to so badly.”

BB-8 swiveled his optic lense curiously.  _ [Then why didn’t you?] _

Poe waved his hand. “It’s a whole… inappropriate… thing.”

_ [Why?] _

“Because she should be with someone closer to her own age, someone whose experience level is more on par with her own. It’s not fair to her. I’d be taking advantage.”

_ [I don’t understand how--] _

“She’s so  _ young, _ Beebee-Ate.”

The droid made a sound that didn’t translate but which Poe recognized as extreme frustration with humans and their weird hang-ups.  _ [If you kiss Friend-Rey then you will be doing what you want to and you will both be happy, so kissing her is logical.] _

Poe narrowed his eyes. “Why are you so sure about how Rey would react? Buddy, you’d better not be spreading my secrets.”

_ [I keep all your secrets.]  _ BB-8 paused.  _ [Unless keeping them compromises your safety or well-being.] _

“That’s a pretty big loophole you’ve got there. Seems open to interpretation.”

_ [You are much more agreeable when you are having satisfactory intimate physical relations,]  _ BB-8 said and then zoomed out of the door.

“Wow,” Poe said to the now empty room. He collapsed on his front, burying his face in his lumpy pillow.

-

The next day Poe found Rey in the evening, out in front of the hangar. She held herself awkwardly, uncommonly nervous like she normally wasn’t around him.

“Sorry I was weird yesterday,” Poe said. “You want to have dinner, let me try to make up for it?”

Her smile was easy and sweet. “I’d like that.’

“Great,” Poe said, and offered her his arm, which Rey took with a small huff of a laugh.

-

Poe supposed he really shouldn’t have trusted BB-8 not to try something. He should have been suspicious of the mysterious problem Poe simply had to go and check out and he should have been even more suspicious when Rey was already in the room when he arrived. He should have been wary of the fact that it was less a room and more a storage closet, the sort that only locked from the outside.

And he really should have known when BB-8 didn’t come inside.

The door closed. The electronic lock made a tiny sound.

“Lights,” Poe said, and the room brightened. 

Rey’s eyes were large and startled as she looked at him.

Poe pressed his hand to the door. “Beebee-Ate, this is not funny. Let us out right now.”

_ [I will return, Partner-Poe! Please make each other happy!] _

“Beebee-Ate!” Poe shouted and banged on the door.

Rey snorted a giggle.

“Oh, so this is funny?”

She shrugged. “A little. Your droid locked us in a closet for our own good.”

Poe stepped back, features easing into a smile. “All right, I see your point. He’s just… He meddles.”

“He cares about you.”

“I think he wants me to get laid,” Poe said before he could stop himself. He fixed wide eyes on Rey. “Damn, I’m sorry, I--”

Rey’s amused smile hadn’t faded. “You think I didn’t realize that?”

“It sounds disrespectful to say it like that, out loud. Crude, I guess.”

The room was small and when Rey took a step forward, it brought her nearly right up against Poe. “Why didn’t you kiss me? When we were sparring?”

“Didn’t seem right.”

“Because you didn’t want to?”

“Of course I wanted to.”

“Then why?”

“Rey, I…” Poe swallowed. It was difficult to think with her so close to him, crammed in this tiny, dim space. “You should have more, you should have someone better suited--”

Her hand was warm on Poe’s hip; he tried not to stare at it. “Kiss me now.”

“I’m not going to do that, I’m--”

Her lips were on his before he could so much as think. She smelled like the hangar and she was so warm, her lips dry and chapped, her short fingernails digging into the flesh of his hip. She kissed like a question, like she was testing him and testing herself, and her gaze was uncertain when she drew back to look at him. 

“Is that not what you want?” she asked. “Do you think I want someone else?”

A hundred different thoughts were all flowing through Poe’s head. How much he liked this sweet, strange girl, how much he wanted her, how wrong for her he was, how easy it would be to hurt her, how terribly badly this could go, how she should learn with someone who wasn’t wearing a wedding ring around his neck because he was hoping for something real and lasting. He was thinking about how he could feel her hand tremble and how much courage it must have taken for her to take a step when he wouldn’t, and he was thinking about how much he really just wanted to kiss her again.

So he did.

Poe fit his hands to Rey’s waist and kissed her. He could feel her surprise in the way she gripped him and in the way her head tilted back; he pressed her forward and she made a tiny sighing sound nearly lost in the pressure of their mouths. He teased her lips open and she sighed again, a little louder, her hands sliding up over his back. 

“Please,” she said, and Poe remembered himself, pulling back.

He took a breath, and then another. “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” he said, “regardless of what my droid thinks.” He wished her lips didn’t look quite so red and wet, quite so inviting. He focused on her eyes.

“You’re so aggravating,” Rey said, those eyes flashing.

“I’ve been told that.”

“You want to kiss me! I know you were interested before, when we were sparring. I’m not a child and I’m not naïve.”

Poe winced. So much for thinking that might have gone unnoticed.

“Wanting isn’t enough,” he said. “Wanting doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”

“Why does it matter so much?”

“Because you’re so young, Rey,” Poe said, wanting her to understand. “And I’m not anymore. I remember how it felt, when everything was new, and I know how overwhelming it can be. We’re not in the same place and you have so much to experience. I care about you so I don’t want you to get hurt. I’d only be taking advantage of you.”

“You know that’s ridiculous, right? The idea that you’re taking advantage of anything?”

“But--” 

“I just want...” Rey exhaled in frustration. “On Jakku there wasn’t time or opportunity for any of this. All I was worried about was finding enough salvage to feed and protect myself, keeping safe until my parents came back for me. There wasn’t anyone… It was better on my own. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want those things, or that I didn’t want them then, someone to… to… And now I’m here, and everything is different, and you’re kind, and I’m attracted to you, and I think it would… it would… I think you would be… good.” 

Her cheeks were red but she met Poe’s eyes like she was daring him to laugh.

Poe didn’t want to laugh. Part of him wanted to cry, to cut out this desperate ache in his heart when he thought about Rey, lonely and alone and surviving. Part of him kept dwelling on all the ways this could go horribly, horribly wrong. The rest of him was absurdly flattered and insanely into the idea of pleasing Rey in ways she had only dreamed of.

Damn, the things he could show her.

“I’d like to be good for you,” he said, and Rey was cornering him again.

“Please,” she said, and kissed him, and Poe stopped fighting it.

He kissed her with his mouth open until she felt like liquid against him, like she was molding herself to him and aiming for closer still. He kissed her until she pushed back when he did, a little aggressive, more sure and confident with every second. He slid his hand over her thigh, urging her leg up to loop around his hips, as she untucked his shirt and moved her hands up his spine.

“I want to know you,” he murmured, his lips on her jaw.

“We are stuck together in here.” Rey tilted her head, gasping when Poe nipped behind her ear.

“Have to keep ourselves occupied.” Poe worked his hand up beneath her shirt, caressing her breasts.

“Yes,” she sighed.

He undid the front of her pants, slipping his hand inside, and when he dragged his thumb over her, feeling how wet she was, she moaned and dropped her head onto his shoulder, the pressure of her teeth against his collar bone.

Rey was rubbing herself against him with a lack of self-consciousness, like she desperately had to, pressing into his hand and clinging to him. Poe murmured in her ear as he fingered her, letting his motions be guided by her reactions, biting his own lip when she ground against him. “Poe,” she gasped out when she came, and Poe held her so she stayed upright.

Her breathing was harsh and quick and Poe said, “If you tell me I’m second best at that too I’ll have to take my services elsewhere.”

She laughed, the sound sharp and bright. “You’re definitely the best I ever had.”

“Faint praise but I’ll take it.”

Poe took a moment to adjust himself in his pants, which felt uncomfortably tighter than they usually did, before dropping carefully down to his knees. Rey was watching him, sinking her hands into his hair.

“I don’t know how long Beebee-Ate means to leave us in here, but I’m more than happy to keep occupying you, if you want.”

Rey raised an eyebrow, her cheeks delightfully reddened. “You think I’m going to say no?”

Poe smiled a little and tugged her pants down over her ass, then her already damp and askew underwear. The flush in Rey’s cheeks deepened but she clenched her hands tighter in Poe’s hair when he kissed her between her thighs.

Yeah, he absolutely didn’t mind spending time here.

“Sorry,” Rey said, and disentangled her fingers only to grab the back of Poe’s head and swear at the first press of his tongue.

“Don’t be sorry,” Poe said, and encouraged her to twine her fingers in his hair again. “I really, really don’t mind.”

“You can… you can… oh,” Rey said, eyes closing, losing whatever she had been trying to say.

Poe didn’t know where this was going to go but he was suddenly entirely certain that he was content to find out. More than content, honestly. One might even say that he was happy.

BB-8 was going to be so kriffing smug.

 


End file.
